Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-03-19
A HIsroRIo SWORD
welded by Capt. Reid at the srhermopv
lac OF the Ocean.

/ Welded by Capt. Reid at the sTherm6uv-
lac or the Ocean.
New York Times.
There has lain upon the desk Of the
i president for some time a plain, stssI
Iscabbauded sword, old-fashioned ia stvls
and serviceable rather than elegant.
slightly curved, somewhat battered, ana
generally a weapon that looks as though
1t had seen service. And it has; and
service, too, ia one of the most heroic
actions described in the pages Of Amari-
can history. A day or two sgo the pres
ident sent this sword TO congress, and 6
VIII probably become the duty of the
National museum, IN which 60 many
other valuable relics are deposited, e.
give it place in which it may bs seen
in company with a sketch of the here
and the heroic contest that makes e
sacred.
The presentation TO congress. through
the president, by Col. Samuel O. Rsid
of this battle saber OF his father, the late
Captain Samuel Chester Reid, who com
manded the United States private armed
Orig-of-war Gen. Armstrong at the battle
of FayRl in September, 1914. is excuse
enough for Veviving some incidents
Armstrong was a little brig of 24G tons.
carrying but seven guns and ninety men
Sine was attacked in the neutral wataEs
of the Azore islands by a British squad
ron, consisting of the ship-of-the- line
Plantaganet, the frigate Rota, and the
slOOp-of-War CarnRtion. with q total
amount OF 136 guns and 1000 men.
The British lost over 800 Of their Tioka5
men and officers in killed and wounded,
while the Armstrong lost but two killed
and seven wounded. The action has
well been called the 'sThermopylss OF the
Ocean, for no naval battle in ancient OF
Taodern history is comparable with that
of tie Armstrong at Fayal, either IS &c
the unequal forces engaged, the unyield-
ing and inhexible bravery of her officers
and crew, nor as to tue grand results
which followed in the defeat Of the Brit
ish expedition against Louisiana.
The height of heroism and romantic
ehivalry were displayed by Capt Reid
and his crew in the last act Of this extra
ordinary naval drama. After scuttling
his vessel to save her from capture be
vent ashore with his men and arms. when
the commander Of the squadron, Admit
raj LLOYD, demanded their surrender and
threatened to send five hundred men to
take them Reid retired with his men to
an old Gothic convent. which he fortified,
knocked away the drawbridge, ran up
the American flag, and babe the enemy
defiance. Lloyd quaiied under the last
exhibition Of heroic courage, saying they
were demons and not men.
The squadron under Lloyd was on It's
way to the island Of Jamaica to Join the
great feet assembling there under Ad-
miral Lord Cochrane. afterward earl Of
Dundonald, who was confidentially In
trusted with the secret expedition for the
conquest OF Louisiana. The last hope
of England to wrest tine control Of the
Mississippi river and the province Of
Louisiana from France had been fOiled
by Napoleon, who, seeing that he bad no
means of protecting it from the conquest
OF England, coded it to the United States
in 1903. On the declaration Of war by the
United States, in 1912, England's eyes
were once Pore turned to the coveted
possession, and after making a demOnHtEa-
ZION against Washington and Baltimore
she assembled her combined fleets, no
longer needed for the blockade of the
French coasts, at Negril bay, Jamaica, 20
carry out this great design. The Grip
pied condition OF LlOyd's squadron had
created a delay Of over ten days in re-
pairing damages, as they we're occupied
three days alone in burying their dead.
| On the arrival of Lloyd at Jamaica a
/ further delay of week took place. Adj
miral Lord Cochrane being furious at
Lloyd's which finally proved fatal to the
expedition. The feet did not arrive OF
Lake Bosque until four days after the
arrival of Gen. jackson with his forces,
which barely gave him time to make a
defense, so that had the feet arrived ten
! DAYS sooner, when New Orleans and the
coast was utterly defenseless an easy CON
Quest would have been made, and once in
possession it is doubtful If the treaty Of
/ peace would have been ratified by Eng
land. Thus it is clearly demonstrated that
if Capt. Reid had surrendered his vessel
against such an overwhelming force,
which he might have done without the
imputation of cowardice, Louisiana might
to dav be under the flag Of st. George.
To Capt Reid is not only due the
credit Of this victory, but its general
results in saving q domain now more
than three times larger than the territory
Of France, and it is worthy to be remem-
bered that this gallant sailor became
afterWard the designer OF the present
form OF the United States flag, as adopt
ed by congress in 1918. His name and
fame deserve to be commemOrated, and
congress should show the gratitude c.
the people by making an appropriation
for a substantial and enduring testimonial
to his bravery and usefulness.